Now that the sweepstakes for Giancarlo Stanton are officially over, the Giants heard directly from the horse’s mouth why the newest member of the New York Yankees was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause for San Francisco during his introductory press conference on Monday.
Stanton says he was impressed w #STLCards and #SFGiants but uninterested in going anywhere that wasn't among his top choices
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 11, 2017
Stanton gave a list of teams to the Marlins. SF and STL weren’t among them. “I was open to listening to them but they were not my teams.”
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) December 11, 2017
Given the reigning NL MVP’s 59 home runs last season, the Giants were fully committed in their efforts to trade for Stanton, viewing him as the leading solution to the desperate need for power in their lineup. The Giants were one of the first teams to make an offer, which reportedly included fan favorite Joe Panik and several prospects, and did their best to convince Stanton they could bounce back from their 98-loss season in a meeting they held with him in late November.
Stanton on SF/STL: “They were great people. They were great meetings. Great irganization and culture there. But it just was not a great fit”
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) December 11, 2017
Stanton, at Yankees press conference, said Giants/Cardinals meetings went well but they were never on his list to waive no-trade clause. "I was open to listening … that just wasn't a fit for me."
— Alex Pavlovic (@PavlovicNBCS) December 11, 2017
Nonetheless, Stanton stayed true to his desire to play on a contending team, pegging last year’s LCS teams as his top four teams, even after meeting with the Giants. Growing up a Dodgers fan also apparently played a part for Stanton.
Stanton’s agent says his top 4 teams were the LCS teams. His only priority is to win. Teaming w/Posey and Craw in WBC cemented that desire
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) December 11, 2017
Stanton agent Joel Wolfe acknowledged that “It’s a little harder wrapping your head around being a Giant” when you grew up a Dodgers fan.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) December 11, 2017